Rockies Retreat: Destination: Desire, Book 5 by Crystal Jordan Page B

time.”
    Okay, then. If they did begin a fling, she didn’t want anyone to know. Her actions now told Neil a great deal. He typically didn’t bother to hide his affairs—Vi was aware of who he was seeing at any given time, though he didn’t go into any details and she rarely spent much time with the women he slept with. Usually, she never met them. That would be unusual with Laurel, but this summer mentoring program was hardly his norm.
    He shoved his hands in his pockets. “With my kid, a few minutes early is a little late.”
    “Oh, yeah?” She pushed back a loose strand of hair that was dancing in the breeze. “What about you?”
    “On time is on time for me. Cara always ran late, but she had to get better about it because it stressed Vi out so bad. She’s been that way since the moment we taught her to read a clock.” He glanced down to see her smile.
    “I try to be on time. My dad’s in the early-is-late category too.” Something darkened in her normally bright expression, and Neil sensed there was trouble in that father-daughter relationship. A shame. His bond with Violet had been one of the most important factors in his life from the day she was born and wrapped him around her little finger. That was how it should be, in his opinion.
    Ruth had gone inside by the time they reached the lodge porch. Vi sat on the rail, her bare legs swinging. She’d put a pair of shorts over her bathing suit, and her towel was slung over her shoulder. “Ruth’s eating in the kitchen with her grandma. It’s supposed to be tomato basil soup, and we get to build our own sandwiches.”
    “Did your friend tell you that or did you memorize the menu already?” Neil held open the door and the two females entered in front of him.
    She gave a sheepish shrug. “A little of both.”
    “That’s a useful skill.” Laurel shot a grin over her shoulder at Violet. “I never remember that kind of stuff.”
    “That’s okay. I’ll remember for you.”
    The look on Violet’s face told him how much she liked Laurel. If he wasn’t mistaken, there was some hero-worship girl-crushing going on there. As potential heroines went, he had no problem with his daughter picking Laurel. Better a respected, dedicated painter than some reality show star. Please God, never let his daughter want to emulate the Kardashians. He could handle wild hair colors, but flashing one’s ass—literally—on the internet wasn’t his idea of admirable behavior.
    “Tomato basil soup sounds awesome.” Laurel slapped a hand over her grumbling stomach.
    “I’m hungry enough that anything sounds good,” Neil agreed.
    Violet poked her head in the dining room. “I wonder what kind of bread they have for the sandwiches. There’s this place called Pete’s back home with marbled rye that was so bomb.”
    “In Maine, not LA,” he added for Laurel’s benefit.
    Something in Vi’s tone and wording made him frown. Even after visiting every summer since she was seven and living there for a year, she still didn’t think of California as home. He didn’t know what he could do to change that, because he sensed part of her pain in the last twelve months was feeling displaced, as if she didn’t belong anywhere. He’d offered to relocate to Maine when Cara died, even move back into the house that his ex had gotten in the divorce settlement. It would have been weird as hell, but he’d have done it for Violet. She’d said the house and town reminded her too much of her mom and that she’d rather come to California. But the transition had been rough, and still didn’t fit perfectly. He’d let it ride, hoping it got easier with time. He was available if she ever wanted to discuss anything, but mostly she talked about Cara when she needed to vent, not the lack of belonging.
    “Fooooood.” Laurel sniffed the air as they joined the short lunch line.
    There were definitely more people than had been there that morning though, and Laurel started chatting with